Wesley's Future
by DrTaylor
Summary: Takes place during Journey's End, and makes Wesley's presence in Nemesis possible.


**This is not for profit. I'm just inserting a missing piece that makes Nemesis a little less lousy. I'm not stealing the characters, I'll put them back when I'm done, and I don't have enough money to make me worth suing anyway.**

Once, seven years before, Picard had found Wesley in the Observation Lounge, dejected and embarrassed that he had failed his Academy Entrance Exam. Hanging his head in shame, the boy had told Picard, "I failed the ship, and I failed you."

Why was it, Picard wondered, that now that Wesley had accomplished that dream he was determined to cast it aside? Why was it that he was now standing in the Obsevation Lounge, staring at a defiant Wesley, watching him remove the commbadge from his jacket and toss it on the table?

How had it come to this?

Wesley turned and left the room, but Picard's eyes never left the commbadge. The ungrateful snot! After all Picard had done, this was how...

He reached out and picked up the badge. All of Wesley's hopes and dreams, caught up in this little piece of metal. Silver and gold. His hand tightened around the badge, so similar to his own, and admitted to himself that it wasn't just Wesley's hopes and dreams. It was Picard's own dream too, for Wesley to go to the Academy, graduate, receive a true commission, become Captain of a starship...

All those things that would never happen now. Where had it all gone wrong?

He examined the badge more carefully. It was scratched across the back, and slightly dented on the side. Could it be? Was this the same one that Wesley had been wearing all his time on the _Enterprise?_

It would have been nothing to get a new one. There would have been no problem, in light of the fact that Wesley had had to pry his badge apart. He could have just replicated a new one, and no one would have cared.

But he had kept this. Why, Picard would never know, not that it really mattered. Wesley was leaving, and he would never be able to come back.

Or could he?

Picard had called in favor after favor to get Wesley where he had been. But maybe there was one more thing that he could do for the boy...

STSTSTSTSTST

Two days later, a formal reception on board the _Enterprise_ marked the resolution of the dispute over what would happen to the people in this one colony. Picard was not happy with it, and neither was Wesley, really, but he didn't care.

He had always loved the view from the Observation lounge. When he had been living on the ship, he used to come in here whenever he had problems, and just look out the window. It was quiet in here, and he was rarely bothered. Sometimes there would be little souvenirs on the table, leftovers from other people who had spent some time here, just trying to figure things out, although only once had the souvenir been a Chinese Finger Puzzle.

Wes wished he hadn't gotten so angry. It wasn't fair – he knew what he had to do, but he didn't want to leave his whole life behind. He wanted to go away, do what he was meant to do, and then... who knew?

He wished, more than anything, that he didn't have to choose between the two paths in front of him. Just because he didn't have to stick to his father's path didn't mean that he had to leave Starfleet behind forever, did it?

It didn't matter. He'd gotten angry, he'd resigned. It was already done.

_I failed. I failed this ship, and I failed Captain Picard. Again._

The door opened, and Wesley could see Picard reflected in the glass. He didn't turn around.

"Cadet? Why aren't you in your dress uniform for the reception?"

Wesley turned back to Picard. "I resigned. I'm not a cadet anymore, sir."

Picard nodded. "Yes. Well, about that, Wesley. Is it what you really want?"

"Sir?"

"Wesley, you don't have to leave Starfleet for good. I spoke with Admiral Nakamoura today, and he agreed that for someone who has time and again demonstrated not only his considerable intelligence but his devotion to Starfleet to simply resign would be a great loss to the Federation."

Wesley couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did this mean..?

"The admiral has placed you in an indefinite leave of absence, Wesley. I didn't even have to ask – he was familiar with you and once I told him about the Traveller, he agreed that you should have the option to return."

"But, sir," Wesley began, "I resigned. You were required to log it..."

"With all the problems on the planet, it simply slipped my mind."

"What about the truth?"

"The truth is, Wesley, that you aren't any more ready to leave Starfleet for good than I am ready to have you gone for good. I understand that you need to do this, but if you decide to return..."

The captain opened his hand, which had been clasped behind his back, and held out the commbadge. "This will be waiting for you."

Wes recognized the badge by the small dent on the side where he had once pried it open and gutted it for parts on a desert planet. He wondered idly if Picard had recognized it too. "Thank you, sir."

"Now then," said Picard, "since your official leave does not begin until tomorrow, I find your state of dress entirely unacceptable. You will return to your quarters, put on your dress uniform, and report to Ten Forward for the reception."

Wesley grinned. Sometimes it just felt good to get an order again. Almost like old times. "Yes sir!"


End file.
